News About This Theater

The Astoria Theatre opened in the Astoria section of Queens in November 1920, as a vaudeville house for the Glynne & Ward circuit, but acquired by Loew’s in 1923.

After many years operated by the Skouras Theaters Corp. chain, in 1977, United Artists divided the theater into four screens, and then, in 1981, converted the remaining dressing areas in the back of the building into two additional theaters, bringing the theater up to sixplex status.

It was named the UA Astoria Sixplex when it closed on December 26, 2001.

Today, the former theater building is used for office space and retail.

To answer davebazooka, there is nothing left of the theatre on the gym floors. Nothing. It’s all gone. Although, the large glass windows of the second floor, which are evident in old photos of the theatre are still there and all the treadmills are lined up there so you can look out on Steinway as you run. I think all the original interior ornamentation was gone when the theatre was split into 6 screens, because I don’t remember any when I saw movies there in 2000-2001.

The last couple of years I went to the Astoria, it turned into a real dive. Ripped up screens, a sticky floor, and usually an odd scent for your “viewing pleasure”. It was funny that the Drake, another Queens theater that was only a dollar actually was in better condition.

Can somebody please tell me where the Crescent Theater was? I’ve lived on Crescent Street just about all my life, and haven’t any idea where this theater was. (There was the Strand Theater on Crescent and Broadway, which I remember quite well.) Also, does anybody remember the small movie house on Steinway Street across from the old Loew’s Triboro but further toward Astoria Boulevard? (I believe it’s original name was the Cameo. I’m not sure I remember it as such, but I do remember it as the Olympia, which became a porn theater before it closed. Not sure of the year it closed, either.) Thanks.

On Monday 5 March 1951, Bela “Dracula” Lugosi presented his in person Horror and Magic Stage show at Skouras Astoria. Currently I am conducting research on all things Lugosi; if anyone out there actually saw this show and/or has memorabilia (poster, handbill, photos) related to this show, please contact Bill at Thanks in advance for any assistance!

This theater had almost nothing left of the original ornamentation left by the time it had closed. In the later couple of decades, it was stripped down pretty hard, with everything being covered in matte or shiny black paint.

The only somewhat interesting elements left were the spiral stairs leading to a round landing, the bathrooms and the upper theaters. Mind you, the theater was also cut up into multiplexes a number of times with what would appear to be slicing these upper theaters from what would have been balconies into their own screen suites. For many years it was a quad, until two more screens were added in the back of what must have been admin spaces.

Also, the final marquee was replaced after a quite significant collapse of the 60’s vintage “box” marquee, which I recall may have also have resulted in injuries, and an eventual complete rebuild (as you can see, they added struts to the final marquee, even though it was much smaller), so there were a number of changes to that…